Articulated arm assembly

ABSTRACT

The invention of an articulated arm assembly described here is to carry and position a drilling related apparatus such as power tong, roughneck, drill sting, top drive, casing tong and any other applicable apparatus from the storage position to a working position such as well center or mouse hole. The combination of a parallelogram, a support arm, and a movable guide provides a simple means to move and position a drilling apparatus between a storage position to a desired working position such as a well center and to maintain the drilling apparatus at any desired position.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is used to carry and position a drilling apparatusin oil and gas industry. In particular, the invention of an articulatedarm assembly described here is to carry and position a drilling relatedapparatus such as power tong, roughneck, drill sting, top drive, casingtong and any other applicable apparatus from the storage position to aworking position such as well center or mouse hole with a means ofsafer, more efficient and reliable, and also less risk for rig crew tohand the drill string during drilling operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In drilling industry, handling a drilling string is routine and tediouswork performed almost on daily basis. The apparatus normally calledpower tong or roughneck is often utilized to make or break the threadedtool joint connection of a drilling string.

It is necessary to move the power tong or the roughneck between variouslocations including well center, mouse hole and a storage position. Butit could be difficult to move such device on the rig due to unit heavyweight, limited space around the well center, which can cause accidentsthat could damage drilling apparatus and injure rig crew.

One method in prior art to carry the power tong or roughneck in theprior art form well enter back forward to a storage position is mountthe unit on a trolley that rides on a pair of tracks mounted on thedrill floor. The problem with this configuration is that the floormounted tracks often create tripping hazards for the rig crew. Itbecomes difficult and usually complex when multiple locations arerequired to move the units. It takes too much space on the rig.

A second type of carrying device is to use a telescopic arm driven byhydraulic cylinder. It requires extra space and costly to manufacture,and also it is limited with the weight and size.

A third type of device for positioning is to swing the tong or roughneckusing a C-shaping mechanism where the unit is pivotally hanging on thetop the structure. The problem of this type of device is difficult toposition the unit because the weight of unit keeps the verticalposition. Moreover it is limited with relative short reach out.

A fourth type of device (U.S. Pat. No. 700,502) discloses a dualparallelogram arms and mechanically synchronized between the dualparallelograms. A hydraulic cylinder drives the first parallelogram, andthe second parallelogram is forced to extend and retract withsynchronized link. The problems related to this device are that it hastoo many linkages and rotational elements that tend to wear and faileven, and that structurally the synchronized linkage as a main loadpath, becomes a weak link and easily wear and break. It is costly tofabricate and difficult to service.

Many of these positioning device disclosed in the prior arts aregenerally having too many moving elements difficult to control, prone towear and break. All the devices lack self-holding function in case ahydraulic cylinder breaks, which can cause the tong or the roughneck tofall on the floor if that happens. It would be desirable to develop apositioning device that is ease to fabricate, few moving elements,reliable and simple to position the unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention of an articulated arm assembly described here is developedto carry a drilling related apparatus such as power tong, roughneck,drill sting, top drive, casing tong and any other applicable apparatusfrom the storage position to a working position such as well center ormouse hole. The preferred embodiment includes a combination of a pair ofoffset parallelograms and the dual compression support members, acolumn, a guide moving along the column. When a hydraulic cylinder orpneumatic cylinder moves the guide up and down along the column, theparallelograms swing in and out by the support members. It transfers thevertical movement of a guide to the horizontal movement of the drillingapparatus. Further, unlike the devices in all prior arts, in thisinvention once the drilling apparatus is swung out in a desire position,the guide will stay in the current location with friction between theguide and column even removed, therefore, the drilling apparatusattached to the parallelogram will not fall to floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a preferred embodiment of the articulated arm assembly.

FIG. 2 is a typical arrangement of the articulated arm assembly withdrilling apparatus in both storage and desired position such as wellcenter.

FIG. 3 is the configuration drawing of one preferred embodiment of thisarticulated arm assembly without showing a drilling apparatus or toolattached.

FIG. 4 shows dual parallelograms in a preferred embodiment in thisinvention.

FIG. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D show the alternative embodiments that can achievethe same results disclosed in this invention without departing theessence of this invention.

FIG. 6 also shows another embodiment that is basically falling wellwithin the same scope of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a 3d picture showing the preferred embodiment of thearticulated arm assembly without showing a drilling apparatus attachedthe lower end of the parallelogram.

FIG. 2 is a typical arrangement of the articulated arm assembly withdrilling apparatus such as a power tong attached to the lower end of theparallelogram. It shows the drilling apparatus is located in a storageposition and travels to the well center by the articulated arm assembly.

FIG. 3 is the configuration drawing of a preferred embodiment of thisarticulated arm assembly without showing a drilling apparatus or toolattached.

The arm assembly comprises at least one parallelogram which includes aupper member or linkage 12, lower member or linkage 13, a lower bracket15, a upper linkage or the guide 8, wherein all the said members 12, 13and the lower bracket 15 and the guide 8 are pivotally connected withpins.

The arm assembly further comprises a column 9, a pedestal 2 to supportthe column. A hydraulic cylinder 7 is connected the guide 8 moving upand down along the column 9. A plurality of rollers 10 mounted to theguide roll on the outer surface of the column 9 while the guide moves upand down along the column 9.

In a preferred embodiment a second guide 4 is also attached to the lowerportion of the column 9, and a second hydraulic cylinder 5 connects tothe first guide 8 at its upper end and the lower end of the secondcylinder 5 connects to the pedestal 2. Once the second guide 4 moves upand down long the column 9 driven by the said second cylinder 5, thefirst said guide 8, the first cylinder 7, the said support member 18 andthe drilling apparatus will move simultaneously with the second guide 4along the column 9, wherein a hydraulic valve holds the said firstcylinder 7 so the piston of the first said cylinder piston can not beextended or retracted

The arm assembly further comprises at least one support member 18 whichis pivotally connected to the at least one member either 12 or 13, thelower end 3 of the support member is also pivotally connected to secondguide 4. The lower end 3 of the support member 18 stays the samelocation and the upper end 17 of the support member 18 pushes or pushesthe parallelogram when the guide 8 moves up and down, therefore, theparallelogram member 12 and 13 swing in and out while the column 9 isalways remains in substantially vertical position.

The advantage of this arm assembly is that a drilling apparatus attachedto the bracket 15 will maintain the same orientation without titlingforward or backward while it unit travels back or forward from wellcenter to the storage position. In addition, once the unit travels closeto the desired well center, the support member 18 and the guide 8 willhold the parallelogram and thus the drilling apparatus in the desiredposition even if the cylinder 5 fails to hold, therefore, this armassembly provides an inherent mechanical safety means to prevent frompotential equipment damage or rig crew injury.

A preferred embodiment of this arm assembly has dual parallelograms 19 &22 and dual support members 18 & 20 offset in parallel planes with adistance approximately to the column width. A dual compression supportmember 18 & 20 connect, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, tothe middle or the vicinity of middle of lower member 13 with pivotalpins 17, and the lower end of support member 18 is attached to a secondguide 4 with pivotal pins.

The alternative embodiments are shown in FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 5C, andFIG. 5D by connecting the support member 18 to the upper member 12instead to the lower member 13 in FIG. 5A, or by adding more supportmembers 18 b in FIG. 5B, or adding additional member 23, 24, 25 in FIG.5C, 5D,

An another embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is to add a third member 26 inparallel to the member 12 and 13.

It should be appreciated by those of skill in the art, in light ofpresent disclosure, that many variations or similar embodiments can bemade to obtain the same or similar results disclosed in the invention,essentially within the same spirit and scope of this invention.

1. An articulated arm assembly comprising: at lease one parallelogram inone plan or plurality of parallelograms offset in parallel plans; atleast one upper member and at least one lower member of each saidparallelogram; a guide attached to the upper end of the parallelogram; adrilling apparatus attached to the lower end of the parallelogram; avertical column, wherein the guide slides up and down along the column;at least one support member, wherein the upper end of the said supportmember is pivotally connected to at least one upper member or to atleast one lower member of a parallelogram; and the lower end of thesupport member is pivotally connected to the lower portion of thecolumn.
 2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pedestalattached to the bottom of the column.
 3. The assembly of claim 1 furthercomprising a hydraulic cylinder to drive a said guide up or down alongthe column.
 4. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pinpivotally connecting the support member and a upper or a lower member ofa parallelogram.
 5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the pedestal isstabbing into drill floor's receptacle or directly mounted to a derrickstructure above the drill floor.
 6. An articulated arm assemblycomprising: at lease one parallelogram in one plan or plurality ofparallelograms offset in parallel plans; at least one upper member andat least one lower member of each said parallelogram; a first guideattached to the upper end of the parallelogram; a drilling apparatusattached to the lower end of the parallelogram; a vertical column,wherein the guide slides up and down along the column; a second guide inthe lower potion of the column, wherein the second guide slides up anddown along the guide; at least one support member, wherein the upper endof the said support member is pivotally connected to at least one uppermember or to at least one lower member; and the lower end of the supportmember is pivotally connected to the said second guide.
 7. The assemblyof claim 6 further comprising a pedestal attached to the bottom of thecolumn.
 8. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising a first hydrauliccylinder to drive the said first guide up or down along the column,wherein the lower end of the cylinder is connected to the said secondguide.
 9. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising at least a secondhydraulic cylinder to drive the said second guide, wherein the lower endof the said second cylinder is connected to the pedestal.
 10. Theassembly claim 9, wherein once the second guide moves driven by the saidsecond cylinder, the first said guide, the said support member and thedrilling apparatus will move simultaneously with the second guide alongthe column, wherein a hydraulic valve holds the said first cylinder sothe piston of the first said cylinder can not be extended or retracted.11. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising a pin pivotallyconnecting the support member and a upper or a lower member, and asecond pin pivotally connecting the support member and the said secondguide.
 12. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the pedestal is stabbinginto drill floor's receptacle or mounted to a derrick structure abovethe drill floor.
 13. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the pedestal canbe rotated about the center of the pedestal by a means such a hydrauliccylinder or motor.
 14. A method of manipulating a drilling apparatuscomprising: attaching a column to a drill floor or a derrick structure;attaching a first guide to the upper portion of the column, wherein theguide slides up and down along the column; attaching a second guide tothe lower portion of the column, wherein the guide slides up and downalong the column; attaching at least one parallelogram in one plan orplurality of parallelograms offset in parallel plans, wherein the firstsaid guide is connected to upper end of the parallelogram, and adrilling apparatus is attached to the lower end of the parallelogram;attaching at least one support member, wherein the upper end of thesupport member is pivotally connected to at least one upper member or toat least one lower member of the parallelogram; and the lower end of thesupport member is pivotally connected to the said second guide.
 15. Themethod of claim 14 further comprising a pedestal attached to the bottomof the column.
 16. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising a firsthydraulic cylinder to drive the said first guide up or down along thecolumn, wherein the lower end of the cylinder is connected to the saidsecond guide.
 17. The method of claim 14 further comprising at least asecond hydraulic cylinder to drive the said second guide, wherein thelower end of the said second cylinder is connected to the pedestal. 18.The method of claim 17, wherein once the second guide moves driven bythe said second cylinder, the first said guide, the said support memberand the drilling apparatus will move simultaneously with the secondguide along the column, wherein a hydraulic valve holds the said firstcylinder so the piston of the first said cylinder can not be extended orretracted.
 19. The method of claim 14 further comprising a pin pivotallyconnecting the support member and a upper or a lower member, and asecond pin pivotally connecting the support member and the said secondguide;
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the pedestal can be rotatedabout the center of the pedestal by a means such a hydraulic cylinder ormotor.